Undergarment for absorbing perspiration

ABSTRACT

The garment has sleeves that are wider than twice the distance between the wearer&#39;s shoulders and armpits. These sleeves form folds of sleeve material under the armpits that absorb perspiration and prevent staining the outer garment. Attached to lingerie, the sleeves have bights formed in the sleeve material. These bights prevent the sleeve material from gathering, or bundling, as the lingerie shoulder straps are adjusted to adapt to the wearer&#39;s physique, thereby establishing a smooth transition from the sleeves to the lingerie that avoids forming unsightly humps in the outer garment surface. When the sleeves are used with a body shirt, a crotch strap is provided on the body shirt to stabilize the body shirt on the wearer&#39;s torso and to prevent the body shirt from “riding up” on the wearer&#39;s torso during strenuous physical activity.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] None

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

[0002] None

SEQUENCE LISTING

[0003] None

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] This invention relates to undergarments for absorbing perspiration and, more particularly, to perspiration absorbing loose fifting undergarment sleeves, with triangular recesses to accommodate adjustment straps for female undergarments and a crotch strap to stabilize a perspiration absorbing undergarment body shirt, and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Wide sleeves with an abundant gathering of cloth in the vicinity of the armpit for absorbing perspiration more effectively than dress shields have been suggested for feminine undergarments. The gathering of cloth underneath the armpit provides markedly better protection for the outer garment from perspiration stains and the like, than dress shields, those small, semicircular bits of cloth that fit over the seam that joins the sleeve of an outer garment to the body of the garment. These wide sleeved undergarments with the abundant gathering of cloth frequently are secured in place by being joined to the adjacent respective shoulder strap of an item of lingerie, e.g., the shoulder straps of a slip or of a brassiere.

[0006] Reducing the lengths of these shoulder straps in order to adjust the lingerie to the wearer's body, however, causes the material that forms the perspiration absorbing undergarment sleeve on the shoulder straps to gather together. These gatherings then form unsightly bulges in the surface of the outer garment, e.g., a blouse or dress. These bulges tend to destroy the otherwise attractive lines of the outer garment.

[0007] With respect to body shirts, these items of clothing are characterized by a portion which extends below the waist. This lower portion has a crotch strap, extending downward from the shirttail and is drawn forward and up through the crotch of the wearer in order to be selectively joined at its end to the lower end of the shirt front. These proposed shirts, although well suited to wear as an outer garment during vigorous physical activity, fail to provide truly effective means for absorbing the underarm perspiration that usually accompanies strenuous work.

[0008] Accordingly, there is a need for an improved body shirt that will absorb underarm perspiration and, when used with lingerie, does not create unsightly bulges in an overlaying outer garment.

[0009] These and other deficiencies in the prior art are overcome, to a large extent, through the practice of the invention. Illustratively, with respect to lingerie, sleeves of a moisture absorbent material, each sleeve having an arm hole opening of not less than twice the width of an average wearer's top-of-the-shoulder-to-thearmpit distance to provide a number of folds in the sleeve fabric just below the wearer's armpit. Each of the sleeves is secured to respective adjacent shoulder strap on the item of lingerie. The portion of each of these sleeves that is joined to a respective shoulder strap has, spaced from the armpit portion, and in accordance with a salient feature of the invention, a preferably triangular bight formed in the sleeve. This illustrative bight, although spaced from the armpit portion of the sleeve, can be positioned selectively on the front, top or back part of the sleeve. The base of the triangle that forms the bight is on the shoulder strap and the apex of the triangle is at about half the length of the individual sleeve.

[0010] Typical dimensions for a triangular bight are a two inch base and a four inch altitude between the base and the triangular apex in order to extend approximately from one-half to two-thirds of the length of the sleeve. Clearly, the foregoing description is only illustrative, the shape of the bight that is selected can be chosen from any number of possible shapes of which the rectangular and the semicircular are representative and, further in this respect, more than one bight can be formed in each of the sleeves.

[0011] In accordance with a feature of the invention, as the wearer shortens or otherwise adjusts the lengths of the lingerie shoulder straps to better match the garment to the wearer's physique, the open bight enables the cloth of the sleeve on both sides of the bight to be drawn more closely together without gathering some of the sleeve material into a protruding mass. Having avoided forming a cluster of sleeve material in the foregoing manner, the lines of a blouse, dress or other outer garment worn over the lingerie and perspiration absorbing garment combination is not destroyed through the presence of one or more humps or gatherings that otherwise would have been formed in the absence of the bights in the sleeves.

[0012] Turning now to the invention as it is applied to a body shirt as an undergarment, or other similar item of clothing, wide sleeves of perspiration absorbing material are joined to the torso covering portion of the shirt. In this preferred embodiment of the invention, each of these sleeves has an arm hole opening width of not less than twice the distance between the top of an average wearer's shoulder and the wearer's armpit and forms a number of folds in the sleeve fabric below the armpit.

[0013] Because this body shirt improvement is directed to a garment in which the wearer may engage in strenuous activity, a crotch strap, that selectively joins the shirttail to the lower front portion of the shirt, also is provided to stabilize the shirt on the body of the wearer. This feature of the invention prevents the body shirt from “riding up” on the wearer's torso during physical activity. In this manner, the wearer is relieved of the need to occasionally stuff the lower portion of the shirt under the trousers, skirt orthe like before continuing with the activity at hand.

[0014] Thus, there is provided in accordance with this aspect of the invention an improved body shirt that absorbs underarm perspiration and which nevertheless provides a garment that is stable on the wearer's body during strenuous activity.

[0015] These and other features of the invention are more clearly developed in the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention, however, is limited only through the breadth of the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

[0016]FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of the invention applied to an illustrative item of lingerie;

[0017]FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1;

[0018]FIG. 3 is another side elevation of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 that illustrates a specific advantage of the invention;

[0019]FIG. 4 is a front elevation of an illustrative application of the invention to a body shirt;

[0020]FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the body shirt shown in FIG. 4; and

[0021]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the invention applied to a combination bra and slip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0022] As best illustrated in FIG. 1, an item of lingerie, for example, a brassiere 10 has a pair of breast cups 11, 12 joined together at the general line of breast cleavage 13. The lower edges 14, 15 and the generally vertical edges 16, 17 of the breast cups 11, 12 are joined to a band 20 that encircles the midriff of the wearer (not shown). The ends of the band 20 are selectively joined, at the middle of the wearer's back, by means of fasteners 21, 22 (FIG. 2).

[0023] Adjustable shoulder straps 23, 24 (FIG. 1) are attached, respectively, to tops 25, 26 of the breast cups 11, 12 and to the band 20. Each of the shoulder straps 23, 24 is provided with individual adjustment buckles 27, 30 to enable the wearer to shorten or lengthen the straps 23, 24 and accommodate the lengths of these straps to the size and configuration of the wearer. Thus, drawing on the strap ends 31, 32 shortens the respective straps 23, 24, and drawing portions of the strap ends 31, 32 through the individual buckles 27, 30 lengthens the straps.

[0024] In accordance with a feature of the invention, loosely fitting sleeves 33, 34, formed from a suitable, perspiration absorbing fabric, are provided. Appropriate materials for the sleeves 33, 34 include, but are not limited to, Spandex, Anton, Nylon, silk, Lycra and cotton. The sleeves 33, 34 each have opposing ends that form respective, generally circular arm holes 35, 36. Where sleeve ends are joined to the respective straps 23, 24, the arm holes 35, 36 each have a dimension, a diameter, or a vertical axis 38 (FIG. 3) that is at least twice the distance from the top of the wearer's shoulder 39 to the bottom of the wearer's armpit 39′. This fullness in the sleeves provides for gatherings 48, 49 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of sleeve material beneath each of the wearer's armpits 39′ (FIG. 3) to assist further in the task of absorbing perspiration.

[0025] Preferably, the sleeves 33, 34 each are joined to their associated shoulder straps by stitching the sleeves to the straps, to the near edges of the breast cups 11, 12 and to adjoining portion of the top edge of the band 20. Other alternative attachment techniques are possible, of which forming a hem in the sleeves 33, 34 to enclose the individual shoulder straps 23, 24 is one possibility. If desired, the sleeves 33, 34 can be detachably mounted on the brassiere though snap fasteners, Velcro and the like, for use as a separate, accessory garment.

[0026] One of the salient features of the invention are the bights 37, 40 formed in the fabric of each of the sleeves 33, 34. Best illustrated in FIG. 2, the bight 37 in the sleeve 33 has a generally triangular shape in which the triangle has a base 41 that establishes, essentially, a gap in the edges of the sleeves 33, 34 that are joined to the shoulder straps 23, 24.

[0027] The triangular bights 37, 40 each have respective altitudes 42, 43 that are of lengths equal to about one-half to two-thirds the corresponding lengths of the respective sleeves 33, 34. The triangular bights 37, 40, thus formed in the fabric of sleeves 33, 34, establish sides 44, 45 in the sleeve 33 and sides 46, 47 in the sleeve 34.

[0028] In operation, the wearer puts on the brassiere 10 by slipping her arms through the shoulder straps 23, 24 and the associated sleeves 33, 34 and fastening the band 20 around her midriff (not shown) by securing the fasteners 21, 22 at her back.

[0029] The lengths of the shoulder straps 23, 24 on the brassiere 10 are decreased by manually drawing, successively, on the strap ends 31, 32 until the desired lengths of the shoulder straps have been attained. In drawing on the shoulder strap ends 31, 32, and as best shown in FIG. 3 with respect to the shoulder strap 24 and the sleeve 34, the triangular bight 40 is closed up, forming a much narrower triangle. In this manner, and in accordance with a salient feature of the invention, reducing the length of the shoulder strap 24 in the foregoing manner does not cause the fabric of the sleeve 34 to bundle or form a clump of material as the underlaying shoulder strap 24 become shorter, but absorbs the shorter length through a reduction in the width of a base 50 to the triangle that forms part of the bight 40. As a result, the absence of protruding masses of the sleeve 34 material enables an outer garment (not shown) to have a smooth, clean line without one or more humps in the outer garment surface being formed over bunched or gathered sleeve material.

[0030] To lengthen the shoulder straps 23, 24, it is only necessary to draw an appropriate amount of each of the strap ends 31, 32 (FIG. 1) through the respective buckles 27, 30 until the desired lengths of the respective shoulder straps 23, 24 are attained. In lengthening the straps 23, 24 in the foregoing manner, the bases 41 (FIG. 2) and 50 (FIG. 3) of the respective triangular bights 37, 40 are made wider, leading to an increase in triangular apex angles, 52 without tearing, stretching or otherwise distorting the fabric of the sleeves 33, 34.

[0031]FIG. 6 illustrates an application of the invention to another item of lingerie. As shown, the lingerie item is a combination bra and slip 72 in which full sleeves 73, 74 produce respective folds of underarm cloth (not shown in FIG. 6), characterized, moreover, by respective arm holes 75, 76 that are at least twice the width of the distance between the top of the wearer's shoulder (not shown) and the wearer's arm-pit (also not shown) as described above in connection with the brassiere 10 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3). Each of the sleeves 73, 74, moreover, is joined to a respective shoulder strap 77, 80. Buckles 81, 82 on the shoulder strap 77, 80 enable the wearer to lengthen or shorten the straps 77, 80 to adjust the garment to the wearer's physical stature.

[0032] In accordance with a feature of the invention, bights 83, 84 generally of the type described above in connection with the brassiere 10 are formed in the respective sleeves 73, 74 to enable the shoulder straps 77, 80 to be shortened without causing the fabric of the sleeves 73, 74 to collect into unsightly bulges that destroy the lines and appearance of the wearer's outer garment (not shown).

[0033] Attention now is invited to a typical body shirt 51, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, that illustrates features of the invention. The front of the body shirt 51, shown in FIG. 4, has a trunk portion 52 with leg openings 53, 54. The leg openings 53, 54 are separated from each other by a front crotch strap 55 that has fastening means, for example a pair of snap fasteners 56, 57, secured to the end portion of the fabric of the crotch strap 55. A corresponding rear crotch strap 60 extends from back 61 of the lower portion of the body shirt 51 for selective engagement with the crotch strap 55. Mating snap fasteners 62, 63 on the rear crotch strap 60 that complete the fastener sets enable selective engagement with respective fasteners 56, 57 to join together the front and rear crotch straps 55, 60, although any suitable garment fasteners, of which Velcro is illustrative, can be used for this purpose. In this way, the crotch straps 55, 60 separate the leg openings 53, 54 while the body shirt 51 is worn or, when the two sets of fasteners 56, 62 and 57, 65 are disengaged (shown in FIG. 4) to provide a wide opening in the bottom of the body shirt 51 that permits a wearer (not shown in the drawing) to draw the body shirt 51, bottom first, over the wearer's head.

[0034] Body shirt sleeves 64, 65 are in accordance with another feature of the invention, more than twice as wide as the distance between top 66 of the average wearer's shoulder and armpit 67. In this manner, the sleeves 65, 66 form gathers 70, 71 of fabric that absorb perspiration and prevent outer garment staining much more efficiently than conventional body shirt sleeves that conform more closely to the shapes of the junctions between the wearer's arms and shoulders.

[0035] In operation, the body shirt 51 with the front and rear crotch straps 55, 60 unfastened is pulled over the wearer's head (not shown), while the wearer inserts his arms into the body shirt sleeves 64, 65. The trunk portion 52 of the body shirt 51 is drawn over the wearer's torso (also not shown) until the front and rear crotch straps 55, 60 are at the level of the wearer's groin. The front and rear crotch straps 55, 60 then are joined by pressing together the mating fasteners sets 56, 62 and 57, 63 to form a continuous band of body shirt material between the two leg openings 53, 54.

[0036] Thus the crotch straps 55, 60 anchor, or stabilize, the body shirt 51 to the torso (not shown) of the wearer in a manner that prevents the body shirt 51 from “riding up” on the wearer's torso during vigorous work or exercise. This feature of the invention, moreover, combines with the greater perspiration absorption characteristic of the wide body shirt sleeves 64, 65 and the accompanying gathers of sleeve material 70, 71 to provide a significantly improved body shirt. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment to be worn with lingerie for absorbing perspiration comprising: at least one sleeve having sleeve ends, an arm hole in said sleeve between said sleeve ends having a dimension greater than twice the distance between the wearer's shoulder and armpit, said sleeve forming folds under the armpit to absorb the perspiration, means for attaching one of said sleeve ends to the lingerie, and said attaching sleeve end having at least one bight formed therein, said bight having a depth of one-half to two-thirds of the distance along said sleeve between said two sleeve ends for adapting said sleeve to the lingerie to establish a smooth surface across said sleeve and the lingerie.
 2. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the bight comprises a triangle, said triangle having a base formed in the attaching sleeve end and having an altitude of more than one-half of the distance along said sleeve between said two sleeve ends.
 3. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the lingerie has a shoulder strap of selectively adjustable length and said means for attaching one of said sleeve ends to the lingerie further comprises means for attaching said sleeve end to the adjustable shoulder strap.
 4. A garment according to claim 3, wherein said means for attaching one of said sleeve ends to the adjustable shoulder strap further comprises stitching.
 5. A garment according to claim 3, wherein said means for attaching one of said sleeve ends to the adjustable shoulder strap further comprises a hem formed in said sleeve end to enclose the shoulder strap.
 6. A garment according to claim 1, wherein said means for attaching one of said sleeve ends to the lingerie further comprises means for selectively attaching said sleeve to the lingerie.
 7. A garment for absorbing perspiration covering the wearer's torso comprising sleeves on the garment, said sleeves each having a dimension of not less than twice the distance between the wearer's shoulder and armpit, said sleeves each forming folds under the respective armpits for absorbing perspiration, a strap on the garment for wear under the wearer's crotch, and fastening means on said strap for selectively attaching said strap to the garment and to stabilize the garment on the wearer's torso.
 8. A garment according to claim 7, wherein said fastening means comprise snap fasteners.
 9. A garment according to claim 7, wherein said fastening means comprise a Velcro fastener.
 10. A garment to be worn with lingerie according to claim 1, wherein the lingerie comprises a combination bra and slip, at least one shoulder strap on said bra portion of said combination bra and slip, said at least one sleeve being attached to said at least one shoulder strap. 